Title: Council member/Vice-Mayor

Municipality: Town of Franklin

Position Interested In: At Large - Elected Officials

Q&A's:

TELL US WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO SERVE IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION AT THE LEAGUE. IN PARTICULAR, SPECIFY GOALS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH AS AN OFFICER OR BOARD MEMBER AND INDICATE HOW, IF ATTAINED, THEY WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE VISION 2030 – THE LEAGUE’S FUTURE VISION OF HOW CITIES AND TOWNS WILL OPERATE IN 2030?

I'd like to advocate for rural and small-town needs, ensuring Vision 2030’s progress toward interconnected, resilient communities. Among my goals--foster digital infrastructure expansion and regional partnerships for sustainable economic growth. I'd also like to encourage regional economic development strategies that allow small towns like ours to leverage their unique identities. This supports Vision 2030’s goal of cities and towns functioning as dynamic, collaborative economic hubs.

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A MUNICIPAL OFFICIAL. YOU MAY WANT TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON YOUR SERVICE ON THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNING BODY, OTHER RELATED BOARDS AND SPECIAL AREAS OF INTEREST?

I was first elected to the Franklin Town Council in 2019. My journey into municipal service stems from being a lifelong Maconian with a deep-rooted desire to give back to the community that raised me. Over the course of my career so far, I have served on the Macon County Economic Development Commission and the Macon Program for Progress' Executive Board--a non-profit community action agency dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals and families. It primarily operates Head Start and Early Head Start programs for children ages 0–5, alongside community outreach, food assistance, and job training services.

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, AND/OR COMMUNITY OR CIVIC ACTIVITIES?

I graduated from Franklin High School in 1988. After working for several years in Franklin’s private sector, I earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Western Carolina University’s Honors College in 2003. Shortly after graduation from WCU, I went to work for The Franklin Press as a reporter and later on as its news editor. In 2015, after 12 years at the newspaper, I went to work for the Macon County Sheriff’s Office as a civilian employee. I have achieved NLCM's ALM Certificate of Municipal Achievement and continue to pursue the next level--Certificate of Municipal Excellence. I have also acquired NCLM's Municipal Finance: Comprehensive Fiscal Training for Local Governments certification.

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HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING NCLM EVENTS OR COMMITTEES?

• CityVision Annual Conference

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